Six people, including two fighters from a Burkinabe civilian volunteer force, were killed in a suspected militant attack in the Nord Region on Monday.

Local officials cited by AFP said around 100 gunmen raided Loumbila village that is near the border with Mali, killing six and seriously wounding three others.

Burkina Faso formed the Volunteer Force for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) a year ago to bolster efforts by vigilante groups operating in the volatile northern and eastern regions.

Dozens of VDP fighters have been killed in counterinsurgency operations and attacks by Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s Sahel militants from neighbouring Mali.